Handicraft exports may touch Rs 10,000 cr mark

Malhotra said the pace of export growth gained momentum,after a two-year lull,from the later part of the last fiscal and the trend is a continuous one so far in the current fiscal as well.

The country’s handicraft shipments rose by 15.45 per cent (in rupee terms) in the first three months of the current fiscal over the corresponding period last fiscal.

The increase in exports were led by the fashion jewellery and accessories segment,which recorded a significant 32 per cent growth in the first three months over the same period last year,Malhotra said.

“Although the increase has been by and large in all product categories,yet the increase in exports of fashion jewellery and accessories has been remarkable,” he said.

The world market for fashion jewellery and accessories is estimated to be around USD 16 billion,but India’s share in this segment is negligible.

Malhotra said EPCH has devised a strategy,which includes participation in trade shows and organising buyer-seller meets in upcoming markets among others to shore up India’s exports in the world market.